Stellenbosch Wine Routes celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, a milestone it shares with the birth of the South African wine tourism industry.
The Wine Route was developed in 1971:
Offering the highest density of premium wines in the country, Stellenbosch Wine Routes paved the way for the creation of the country’s wine tourism industry.
The industry contributes R7.2 billion to GDP annually. Johan Malan from the Simonsig Estate says the wine route has grown tremendously over the years, attracting overseas and local guests.
“I think the biggest visionary that happened in these 50 years is the fact that it helped to spread the culture of wine drinking. And also what happened later is the fact that restaurants started up on the wine estates, brought the food and wine together and that made Stellenbosch the culinary capital of South Africa. If you look at the top 10 restaurants in the country, four are based on the Stellenbosch wine route.”
